1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solving problems for fishermen who fish from a standing or wading position and have need for one of the many uses of wading staffs, but are otherwise discouraged from using wading staffs due to the difficulty of stowing the staff while fishing. More specifically, the invention offers a fishing rod with a hollow handle end for storage of a compact wading staff wherein the wading staff is a telescopic retractable/extensible wading staff.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following prior art is representative of the state of the art in the field of fishing rods and wading staffs:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,645 B2 describes a fishing rod that includes a hollow tubular body having first and second open end portions. The fishing rod further comprises a first member provided at the first open end portion of the tubular body and a second member provided at the second open end portion of the tubular body. A rod blank extends through the first member and the tubular body and terminates at a terminal portion which is disposed in the second member. The rod blank is fixed to the first member and elastically suspended by the second member. An air gap is formed around the rod blank in the tubular body so that a vibration is generated on the rod blank by a strike and transmitted along the rod blank to pass through the first member and reach the terminal portion of the rod blank. The vibration is then reflected from the terminal portion of the rod blank and transmitted along the rod blank reversely toward the first member to be amplified by a resonance. The first member receives the vibration amplified by the resonance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,255 B1 describes a hollow telescopic fishing rod that has a fishing rod body which includes a plurality of fishing rod body sections made from fiber-reinforced resin. The fishing rod body has an inner surface, an internal path for a fishing line and line-holding protrusions made from the fiber-reinforced resin, preferably by means of monobloc forming together with said fishing rod body sections. The line-holding protrusions are formed on the inner surface in a spiral, and the line holding protrusions have a cross-sectional shape which is a trapezoid whose upside corners are arc-shaped.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,538 describes an extensible wading staff that includes an elongate shaft with first and second ends, a gripping area, a retractable hook near the first end, and a foot structure such as a rubber cap on the sealed end. A fisherman who is in water, especially moving water, may use the wading staff to maintain his balance while he is flyfishing. In addition, a fisherman may use the staff to help him retrieve snagged fishing devices such as flies, lures, lines and hooks from overhanging tree branches or under water obstacles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,493 describes a retractable, universal lamp for a fishing pole that includes a hollow handle portion and a hollow rod portion. The hallow handle portion further having an externally exposed segment. A self-contained lamp unit is positioned within the hollow handle such that a flexible, elongated connector and bulb can be universally positioned by the user for aid in night fishing. Further more, a plurality of light conductive eyes are disposed on an external side of the rod portion. The eyes are illuminated by light transmitted from the bulb via a bundle of optical fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,646 describes an adjustable interlocking telescopic handle and arm assembly that includes at least two elongated, telescopically engaged tube members which incorporate therein a spring biased, dual locking pin structure in combination with tube aligning and centralizing zones, a unique, adjustable handle and arm assembly is achieved which is capable of being easily moved into a plurality of alternate positions and securely engaged in each position, with unwanted dislodgment or lateral wobbling or movement being completely eliminated. In the preferred embodiment, the elongated telescopically engaged tube members are constructed with cooperating enlarged diameter zones and reduced diameter zones to prevent the unwanted disengagement of the tube members. In addition a plurality of alternate operative end units can be quickly and easily mounted to said elongated handle and arm assembly, with one of said end units comprising a unique mooring clasp and book hook construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,718 describes a telescoping, pole-type lure retriever that has a snare portion that wraps around a fishing line and is guided thereon for removing a fishing lure that is snagged on an underwater obstruction or weeds. An elongated pole has a number of telescoping sections that may be extended to a convenient length to disengage the lure. Each telescoping section may be locked in position by turning a locking nut that compresses a locking ring in a cammed fashion to grip a smaller diameter pole section. The snake portion has a knurled shank seated in locking engagement with a sleeve member and with the sleeve fitted in the end of one pole section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,539 describes a boat hook that is provided with a series of attachments engageable with a coupling device on the prod end. The coupling preferably includes a threaded section, and is set back from the point of the prod for the dual purpose of protecting the threads, and for utilizing the point as the means of assuring positive coaxial alignment of the coupling. The attachments provide a variety of areas of utility, and the preferred form of the invention has a telescoping handle capable of being locked in a plurality of degrees of extension appropriate to the particular attachments that may be coupled to the basic device. The original utility of the boat hook is not impaired by the provision for the attachments. One of the attachments is a hoop with a provision for temporarily retaining a loop in a mooring line.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,855 describes a combination fishing rod that has a plurality of hollow, tubular rod elements telescopically secured into a hollow handle and collapsed substantially completely into the handle for storing. A removable handle an reel seat member is frictionally held onto the handle section of the telescopic rod elements. The removable handle and reel seat are secured to the rod elements in one orientation to form a spinning rod and in another orientation to form a fly-casting rod. The removable handle and reel seat element is held to the fishing rod by sliding frictional engagement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,460 illustrates a fishing device that has a handle in at least two sections, the first handle section being hollow and having an internal diameter sufficiently great to receive the second handle section in telescoped relation therein, a sleeve open at both ends disposed in one end of the first handle section, the opening at each end of the sleeve being substantially smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of said one end of the first handle section, a member projecting from one end of the second handle section and being of a size to fit in either end of the sleeve and of a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of said one end of the second handle section, and means engaging between said sleeve and said member releasably to retain said member in said sleeve both when the handle sections are assembled in end-to-end relation and when the handle sections are telescoped with said second handle section disposed within said first handle section.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.